Milltimber Nursery - Handbook 2019-2020 - Working together to be the best we can be - Milltimber School ...

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Milltimber Nursery - Handbook 2019-2020 - Working together to be the best we can be - Milltimber School ...
Milltimber Nursery

Working together to be the best we can be

              Handbook
             2019-2020
Milltimber Nursery - Handbook 2019-2020 - Working together to be the best we can be - Milltimber School ...
CONTENTS

1. School Information

 Head Teacher, Depute Head, School Administrator
 Address
 Nursery Team
 Schools Information Line
 School Closure Details
 Session Times
 Our Vision
 Our Aims
 Our Nursery Values
 Communication
 Signing In and Out
 Absence
 Late Collection

2. Nursery Essentials

   Getting to Know You
   Joining Nursery
   Snack
   Clothing
   Toothbrushing
   Sun Protection
   First Aid
   Health/Medication
   Fire Drills

3. Nursery Learning

 Curriculum
 Parents in Partnership

4. Looking Ahead
 Transition into Primary One
 Deferring Entry into Primary One

5. Administration

   Policies, Documents and Guidelines
   Child Protection
   Insurance
   Quality Assurance
   Suggestions or Complaints
   Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

6. National Contacts
1. SCHOOL INFORMATION
Head Teacher: Mrs D Hagan
Depute Head Teacher: Ms L Farquharson
School Administrator: Mrs A Dunn

SCHOOL ADDRESS

Milltimber School
Monearn Gardens
Aberdeen
AB13 0DX

Telephone Number: 01224 732517
Email: milltimber@aberdeencity.gov.uk
Website: http://milltimber.aberdeen.sch.uk
Twitter:      @milltimbersch

NURSERY TEAM

Nursery Teacher: Mrs M Booth
Early Years Practitioners: Mrs W Macduff (Full Time), Mrs I Newlands (Part Time)
                           and Mrs A Ross (Part Time)

SCHOOLS INFORMATION LINE

Telephone: 0870 054 1999 (national rate number)
Unique Milltimber PIN: 011530

The main features of this service are:
1. Emergency Arrangements Message for Parents/Guardians
   Used to inform parents/guardians of emergency arrangements and important
   announcements, e.g. early closure arising from adverse weather conditions.
2. Voicemail for Recording Non-urgent Messages from Parents/Guardians
   Facilities to record brief messages of a routine nature from parents/guardians
   for the school.
3. List of Messages Containing School Information
   Could hold routine information for parents/guardians, e.g. School Concert details.

 SCHOOL CLOSURE DETAILS

 The Head Teacher may have to close the school/nursery when conditions such as
 power failure, water failure or storm conditions may put the children at risk. If the
 weather conditions are difficult before you set out for Nursery, please check the
 likelihood of a closure.
 Parents can access school closure details by logging on to Aberdeen City schools
 closure page: www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/closure
SESSION TIMES

Our current sessions run;
Morning         8.30 – 11.40
Afternoon       12.25 – 15.35
Please be prompt collecting your child at the end of a session as staff need time to reset
the nursery for the afternoon session and have their lunch. They also may have meetings
and courses to attend.

OUR VISION

Milltimber Nursery where all children are involved in their learning, are included, active,
engaged, challenged and their creativity is encouraged within our indoor and outdoor
environments.

Our aim is to provide the children with the skills needed for the next stage of their lifelong
learning.

OUR AIMS

 To welcome all children, parents and carers into a safe, caring, nurturing and stimulating
  environment
 To treat all children, parents and carers with fairness and respect, where we celebrate
  and value cultural diversity
 To deliver high quality learning experiences which are purposeful, motivating, relevant,
  active and enjoyable to meet the needs of all children
 To develop skills children will need in the future for learning, life and work
 To build relationships with our parents by informing them of their children’s progress and
  by involving them in the life of the Nursery
 To actively involve staff, children, parents and carers in all Nursery improvements
 To have skilled staff who actively seek professional development and leadership roles
  within the Nursery
 To develop children’s personalities, talents and physical abilities, raise their self-esteem
  and achievements through the celebration of achievement and success
We aim to Get It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) by using the Health and Wellbeing
Indicators to ensure that every child is;

                                       Safe

                Included                              Healthy

         Responsible                                        Achieving

              Respected
                                                      Nurtured

                                       Active

               Our School and Nursery Values are at the HEART of our School.

                        Our
                       Values
                                    Help
                                    Enjoy
                                    Achieve
                                    Respect
                                    Trust

                           Our School and Nursery Charter

                                Be Ready
                              Be Respectful
                              Be Responsible
                                 Be Safe

               Working together to be the best we can be
COMMUNICATION

 You will receive a termly Newsletter which will let you know about some of the exciting
  activities your child has been involved in, upcoming events etc.
 Keep an eye on the School Twitter Feed and School Website. Staff often post what the
  children have been learning about
  www.milltimber.aberdeencity.gov.uk

 The School Senior Leadership Team are available – please feel free to approach either
  Mrs Hagan or Ms Farquharson about any matter
 You will receive messages about events, school and nursery updates etc. through the
  School Groupcall and Xpressions systems as well as e mail
 Cloakroom Area;
   -   Please take time to read the various noticeboards in the cloakroom area.
   -   Daily information is put on the whiteboard as well as details of events that are up
       and coming. Notices asking for help may also be put up.
   -   Information leaflets and booklets are available which can be taken home.
   -   The weekly snack menu is displayed.
   -   A Learning Journey Wall will show you what the children have been learning each
       week. You will see a mix of text, pictures, photos etc.
   -   There is a board displaying the children’s ‘WOW Moments’. We encourage you to
       please let us know of your child’s successes and achievements.

SIGNING IN / OUT SYSTEM

This is for your child’s safety and aims to ensure your child is collected from nursery at
the end of the session by the correct person. Once you have signed your child in they are
the responsibility of the Nursery Staff and so should remain in the classroom, rather than
the cloakroom changing area. At the end of the session the children will wait with a
member of staff and be asked to join you once you have signed them out.

ABSENCE

If your child is unable to attend due to illness/family situation please telephone the main
School Office, the School Administrator will then inform the Nursery Staff. Please allow
at least 48 hours after sickness or diarrhoea before returning to Nursery.

If you are intending taking your child out of Nursery for a family holiday/family
celebration we ask that you please provide written confirmation, to the Main School
Office.

Unexplained absences will be followed up by a telephone call from the School Office.
LATE COLLECTION

If you are going to be late, due to an unforeseen circumstance, in collecting your child
please phone the School Office, the Administrator will let the Nursery Staff know.

The Nursery Staff regularly have meetings and courses at lunchtime and after school, so
please arrange for another adult to pick up your child on time. If someone else is
collecting from Nursery the school must be informed.

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

Details of school/nursery term dates as well as holiday and in-service training days
are sent home in termly newsletters. Reminders are often displayed on the nursery
noticeboard. These dates can also be found on the school website and Aberdeen
City Council Website. https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk

2. NURSERY     ESSENTIALS

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Before your child starts Nursery you will be asked to complete various forms, sign a
number of permission slips and will also be asked to complete a Snapshot Booklet.
These documents are really important and will give us important information about your
child’s food allergies, medical information, family circumstances, likes/dislikes etc. They
will provide staff with a starting point for your child’s learning.

JOINING NURSERY

 We hope that starting at Milltimber Nursery will be a happy experience and that your
child will soon feel secure and confident in our care.

Children are phased into Nursery in small groups. Ante pre-school children are admitted
in line with their date of births as outlined in the Aberdeen City Council’s Nursery
Admissions Policy.

On your child’s first day they will visit with you for approximately one hour, this will give
your child a chance to explore the environment and some of the equipment available to
them as well as meet some new friends. Although it may not be your child’s first
experience away from home, the staff and environment will be new. During this visit you
will be able to talk to your child’s allocated Key Worker and share any important/key
information giving the staff a fuller picture of your child.

After the first visit your child may start Nursery for the full session the next day if
they are ready, however some children take longer to settle than others and in these
cases we will work in partnership with you to find the right solution for your child to ease
their transition into Nursery. Some short term strategies could be; shorter daily
sessions, reducing the number of sessions your child attends, stay with your child until
they are settled. Each child is treated as an individual with unique needs, the Nursery
staff will discuss any transition difficulties with you.
SNACK

We provide a small, nutritious snack each session and this is paid for termly, currently
£2.50 a week.

The children help in the selection and preparation of snack and this offers an opportunity
to talk about food, where it comes from and to develop social skills. We encourage the
children to be independent, choosing what and when they would like to eat. Water, milk
and fresh fruit are always on offer. The children are also asked to tidy up after
themselves, putting rubbish in the bin, leftover food in the food recycling bin and dirty
plates, cups etc. in the dishwasher.

Any dietary requirements or allergies should be included in the initial paperwork handed
into school before your child starts Nursery. Please do not bring food for your child into
nursery unless discussed with staff.

CLOTHING

By the time children come to Nursery most are able to go to the toilet by themselves.
Please help your child by making sure that they are able to manage the fastenings on their
clothing and avoid tricky buttons, braces or buttons.

In case of accidents spare clothes should be kept in a bag on your child’s peg – remember
to replace any items that have been used!

It is important to dress your child for energetic, physical outdoor activities and to provide
appropriate outdoor shoes. The children will be taken to play and learn outdoors regardless
of the weather.

We also ask that indoor non-slip shoes are provided, these will be worn in Nursery and the
Gym. Crocs and slippers are not recommended as they cannot be used in the hall. The
children will be taught to be independent and to take off/put on their own shoes. Please
help us by encouraging this at home. Both pairs of shoes preferably should be slip-over or
have Velcro fastenings.
Please name all items of outdoor clothing and shoes.

TOOTHBRUSHING

Your child will take part in the Childsmile toothbrushing scheme which is set up in
partnership with the Community Dental Service and NHS Grampian. Your child will be
given his/her own personal toothbrush and toothpaste which will be kept in the Nursery.
Your child will be supervised and helped to toothbrush after snack. A parental consent
form will be distributed before toothbrushing starts, your consent is assumed unless you
opt out of the scheme.
SUN PROTECTION

At Milltimber Nursery we promote and encourage outdoor learning and your child’s health
and wellbeing are very important to us. Could you please ensure that during the summer
months you:

   Apply sunscreen to your child before arriving at Nursery
   Ensure that your child has a comfortable, wide brimmed hat or legionnaire style cap

FIRST AID

All staff in the Nursery are First Aid Trained and First Aid Supplies are readily
available. Should your child have a small accident whilst at nursery e.g. scrapped a knee,
the a member of the Nursery Team will administer appropriate first aid, this will be
recorded on our incident paperwork and shared with you at pick up time. On very rare
occasions, children may have a slightly more serious mishap whilst at Nursery, under
these circumstances parents/carers will be called immediately or, if unavailable, the
emergency contact will be informed and medical help sought.

HEALTH/MEDICATION

At the initial meeting with your child’s Key Worker in August you will be able to let us
know about any special circumstances relating to your child’s health. Please keep your
child at home if he/she is not feeling well and let us know by phoning the main school
office if he/she is going to be off, the office staff will inform the Nursery Team. If
your child has been physically sick or has had a bout of diarrhoea we ask that you keep
him/her off for 48 hours from last bout of sickness to help prevent the spread of
infection.

If your child becomes unwell while at Nursery a member of the Nursery Staff will
contact you to take him/her home. It is for this reason that it is vital that the school
always has the most up-to-date contact details/telephone numbers of how we can contact
you or your designated emergency contact.

If your child suffers from any ongoing ailments for which medicine may need to be
administered e.g. asthma, allergic reactions etc. you must include this vital information on
the initial Nursery paperwork. Your child’s medication will be stored in a secure cabinet,
staff will record when medication is administered and this information will be shared with
you when collecting your child at the end of the session. Please make sure you regularly
check the dates on medications that you hand into Nursery and replace when necessary.

FIRE DRILLS

Regular fire drills are held throughout the session. The Nursery evacuates to the Early
Stages Playground.
3.   NURSERY LEARNING

CURRICULUM

We are committed to providing a stimulating curriculum for children and aim to build upon
each child’s previous learning experiences. We follow ‘A Curriculum for Excellence’
framework, and the Experiences and Outcomes within this describe the expectations for
learning and progression in all areas of the curriculum. Curriculum for Excellence
encourages all children to become successful learners, confident individuals, effective
contributors and responsible citizens. The principles which underpin A Curriculum for
Excellence are; challenge and enjoyment, breadth, progression, depth, personalisation and
choice, coherence and relevance.

Young children learn through play and practical experiences. Through play, indoors and
outdoors your child will learn about themselves and the world in which they live. Each
activity that your child will engage in will offer a wide range of learning opportunities.

PARENTS IN PARTNERSHIP

We realise that parents/carers make the most significant contribution to their child’s
education. We, as teachers, must get to know the child in order to extend and
complement the education already received and therefore it is important share with each
other significant events and developments.

A curriculum evening will be held sometime during the first term, usually in September.
This is an informative evening and gives parents/carers the opportunity to ask questions,
explore the Nursery Room and look at some of the resources.

The Nursery uses a communication portal called the ‘Interactive Learning Diary’ to share
observations with a parent/carer on their child’s learning. The Nursery staff will keep
parents/carers informed of their child’s progress and of significant ‘WOW’ moments
through the use of the ILD. Staff will upload text, picture, sometimes audio and video to
provide parents/carers an insight into their child’s nursery experiences and achievements.
Observations link to the Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes and includes
next steps where appropriate. Observations also link to the Health and Well-being
Indicators; Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible and
Included. Parents/carers can also upload observations of significant moments at home if
they wish. The portal is password protected and so parents/carers can only access
information on their own child. The portal can be accessed through the internet on any
device or via a downloadable app.
Throughout the school year parents will be given opportunities to come into Nursery to
discuss their child’s progress with their child’s Key Worker.

Parents/carers have the opportunity to talk to the Nursery staff daily at drop off and
pick up times and are welcome to share information at these points of the day, however, if
it is felt that more time or privacy is needed, you are welcome to make an appointment.

The Nursery Staff regularly ask parents if they would like to join us in Nursery and
there are ‘sign-up’ sheets in the cloakroom.
Our ‘Mystery Reader’ and ‘Stay and Play’ sessions are great fun and give parents (and
younger children) the chance to drop in and interact with the children during a Nursery
session. There is no need to stay for the whole nursery session, you can choose when you
would like to come into nursery and for how long.

At times we may ask for your assistance either in Nursery or on outings. There will also
be special events and celebrations for which you will be invited to join us. We look
forward to sharing your child’s experiences with you.

We hope parents/carers will always feel welcome in our Nursery and will take time to
look around and give encouragement to your child’s learning.

Milltimber School and Nursery has a Parent Council which contributes to aspects of
school improvement and A Parent Teacher Association (PTA) which works hard in
organizing a variety of events to help us purchase much appreciated equipment for the
school and nursery. We welcome all parents/carers to attend and become involved in
either of these groups.

4. LOOKING     AHEAD

TRANSITION TO PRIMARY ONE

The Nursery is an integral part of the school and throughout the year the nursery
children are integrated into school life. The children regularly visit the school, attend
class assemblies, have gym lessons with the PE Teacher, use the Early Stages Library,
the Music Room and the school playgrounds. The children will also have opportunities to
play and learn alongside other classes within the school. They will get to know the School
Leadership Team, other teachers in the school, Pupil Support Assistants, the School
Administrator, the Dinner Ladies and the Janitor. This is important as it ensures
continuity between nursery and primary one and helps the children gain confidence for
the transition into primary one.

Please be aware that children who are zoned for Milltimber Primary will be allocated a
place in Primary One.
Children who live outwith our catchment will be allocated a place in their local school.
Attending our nursery will not guarantee a place in our school, nor will having a sibling
already in school.
In such situations a ‘placing request’ must be made and a decision will be taken near the
end of the last term as to whether it is possible to accommodate such children into the
Primary One class/classes.

DEFERRING ENTRY INTO PRIMARY ONE

In a small number of cases it is felt that children who are of the age to attend school,
e.g. 4 years old before the end of February would benefit from an additional year in
Nursery.

Parents/carers of children wishing to defer the entry of their child into primary school
must apply for a deferral. Parents/carers should apply for Nursery and Primary One in
order to ensure a place is allocated to them in the event that the request for deferral is
unsuccessful.

If your child’s date of birth is during January or February (i.e they celebrate their 4th
Birthday in January or February) you have the right to defer entry to school. If you wish
to consider this you will be required to be complete a delayed entry request form.

If your child’s birthday is between 1st August and 31st December, requests for deferral
need to be supported by at least one other agency which is associated with the child e.g.
Health Visitor, Educational Psychologist etc. Such requests are then presented to the
Admissions Panel who make the decisions as to whether or not they will be allocated
another year in nursery.

If you wish advice on deferred entry please discuss this with your child’s Key Worker,
the Depute Head Teacher or the Head Teacher.

5.   ADMINISTRATION

POLICIES, DOCUMENTS AND GUIDELINES

Nursery Policies, Key Documents and Guidelines are available on the school website and in
the Nursery Cloakroom area for you to look at if you wish.

CHILD PROTECTION

Each school has a named member of staff appointed for Child Protection matters.
Mrs. Hagan, Headteacher, is the named person for Child Protection in Milltimber
School and Nursery.
INSURANCE

Please note: The Education Authority has no insurance cover to provide compensation in
the event of a personal accident or injury. It is the responsibility of the parents to insure
their child, if they wish. More details on this matter may be obtained at the school office.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

The nursery is regularly inspected by the Care Inspectorate and by the HMIe. Copies of
reports are available from school and can also be accessed on the internet.

SUGGESTIONS OR COMPLAINTS

We hope to work in partnership to improve our pre-school provision. If you have any
suggestions which you feel would enhance our teaching and learning programmes please
communicate these to the Nursery Team. Similarly if you have a complaint about any
aspect of nursery life, you should in the first instance speak to the Nursery Teacher. If
you feel that the complaint has not been satisfactorily resolved please contact a member
of the School Leadership Team; Head Teacher - Mrs Dorothy Hagan,
                                 Depute Head Teacher – Ms Lindsay Farquharson .
If the complaint is subsequently still unresolved, parents can;

 raise their concern to the Care Inspectorate, SCSWIS (Social Care and Social Work
  Improvement Scotland).

  http://www.careinspectorate.com/index.php/scswis-complaint-form

 Raise their concern through the following Aberdeen City Council Website;

  https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/have-your-say/make-complaint

SCOTTISH PUBLIC SERVICES OMBUDSMAN

Under the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002 members of the public have the
right to complain to the Public Services Ombudsman about services that they receive from
public bodies, including local authorities.

The Ombudsman has the power to investigate complaints against Aberdeen City Council in
relation to maladministration and service failure.

This includes the power to investigate maladministration in the internal organisation and
management of schools.

The Ombudsman does not have the power to investigate professional education matters i.e.
the giving of instruction, conduct, curriculum or discipline in any educational establishment
under the management of Aberdeen City Council.

The Ombudsman may investigate matters only where there is a claim that a member of the
public has sustained injustice or hardship in consequence of the maladministration, service
failure or other action as appropriate.
Time Limit

A complaint must be submitted within 12 months after the day in which the person
aggrieved first had notice of the matter complained of, unless the Ombudsman is satisfied
that there are special circumstances which make it appropriate to consider a complaint out
with that period.

Contacting the Ombudsman

Members of the public may contact the Ombudsman direct. Individuals may also give
written authorisation to a representative to act on their behalf e.g. MSP or Local
Councillor. Complaints should normally be made in writing to:

                   Public Services Ombudsman
                   22 Walker Street
                   EDINBURGH
                   EH3 7XX
                   Tel: 0870 011 5378
                   Fax: 0870 011 5379
                   Email:enquiries@scottishombudsman.org.uk

We hope you have found the information in this booklet helpful. It can only give you a
brief insight into our nursery but you are welcome to talk to the staff at any time, if you
have any queries. This can be done either informally or by making an appointment.

We look forward to getting to know you and your children and trust we have a happy and
fulfilling time together.

     Working together to be the best we can be
6.    NATIONAL CONTACTS

            NAME & ADDRESS                                   CONTACT DETAILS
     Care Inspectorate (Social Care and                      Tel: 0345 6009527
     Social Work Improvement Scotland)                 enquiries@careinspectorate.com
              Johnstone House                            www.careinspectorate.com
                Rose Street
            ABERDEEN AB10 1UD
                  Childline                                    Tel: 0800 1111
                                                             www.childline.org.uk

           Children in Scotland                              Tel: 0131 313 2322
Children in Scotland is a national agency               info@childreninscotland.org.uk
      for voluntary, statutory and                       www.childreninscotland.org.uk
professional organisations and individuals
working together with children and their
           families in Scotland.

                  Enquire                                    Tel: 0345 123 2303
      The Scottish Advice Service for                        info@enquire.org.uk
      Additional Support for Learning                        www.enquire.org.uk

             Education Scotland                               Tel: 0141 282 5000
                Denholm House                         enquiries@edcuationscotland.gov.uk
          Almondvale Business Park                      www.educationscotland.gov.uk
               Almondvale Way
           Livingstone EH54 6GA

 Grampian Racial Equality Council (GREC)                     Tel: 01224 595505
            41 Union Street                                   info@grec.co.uk
          Aberdeen AB11 5BN                                    www.grec.co.uk

             ParentLineScotland                             Tel: 0800 028 2233
                                                        www.parentlinescotland.org.uk

    Scottish Government Education             www.scotland.gov.uk (Click on Education & Training)
              Department
   Scottish Parent Teacher Council                           Tel: 0131 4746199
 The national organisation for parents’                        sptc@sptc.info
      groups in Scottish Schools.                               www.sptc.info

 The National Parent Forum of Scotland       http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/parentzone/getinvolved/
  Gives parent councils and parents an                     forumscotland/index.asp
     opportunity to discuss and raise
 educational issues or mutual interest or
       concern at a national level.
             The Parent Zone                       http://www.ltcotland.org.uk/parentzone/
   Find out how you can support your
    child’s education; information for
            parents and carers.

  This booklet can be made available electronically or in large print format for
  the visually impaired. Translations into other languages can also be arranged.
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